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British men may be wasting over £500 million per year by refusing to ask for help with everyday tasks

Men can’t be experts at everything – and that’s OK, especially when it comes to their health

Research from Pfizer’s Man MOT (Monday Opportunity to Talk) highlights that it really does pay to ask as British men may be wasting over £500 million*1-8 per year on everyday tasks because they don’t get help when it’s needed most.1 This includes health advice from GPs1. In fact, over a third of men surveyed (34%) admit they would rather solve a problem on their own1.

Men feel confident in their practical skills and ability to ‘battle-on’ through illness. However, as they admit themselves, it doesn’t always work out as they’d like:

  • Over half (62%) admit to getting lost whilst driving because they didn’t ask for directions,1 at an estimated cost of £175 million in fuel every year,**1-4 even though almost half (42%) of men surveyed think they are a ‘walking talking GPS.’1
  • A third (33%) of men surveyed admit to having made a DIY problem worse by trying to fix it, and then calling-in a tradesman for emergency repairs 1 at an estimated cost of nearly £340 million,***1,3,5,6-8 despite almost half (45%) of men surveyed thinking they have ‘tools for fingers’.
  • Because of a ‘superhero’ attitude, over a third (36%) of men surveyed think they don’t need advice from a doctor.1 More than half (51%) have ignored feelings of ill health1 leading to 1 in 5 (22%) having to take time off work.1

Men’s partners are keen to encourage them to seek advice earlier especially when it comes to their health, but men are still reluctant:

  • Nearly a third (31%) of women surveyed say they have argued with their partner about his stubbornness when it comes to seeing a GP.1
  • Almost half (46%) of women surveyed admit to nagging their partner about going to talk to a GP1 every time illness occurs.

Asking for help and health advice from qualified GPs is easy with Man MOT (www.manmot.co.uk), an online surgery, exclusively for men. Open every Monday from 6-10pm, men simply need to log on during surgery hours to speak to a healthcare professional anonymously and in total confidence. In addition, at Man MOT men can access a range of information on their health and talk with representatives from organisations involved in men’s health……asking for help has never been easier.

 

About the Survey

  • The research was undertaken by One Poll in October 2011. Total number of respondents: 3,000 people across the UK (2,000 men and 1,000 women) on behalf of Pfizer Ltd.

 

Pfizer: Working Together for a Healthier World™
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to improve health and well-being at every stage of life. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacturing of medicines for people and animals. Our diversified global health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as nutritional products and many of the world’s best-known consumer products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as the world’s leading biopharmaceutical company, we also collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. In the UK, Pfizer has its business headquarters in Surrey and is the major supplier of medicines to the NHS. To learn more about our commitments, please visit us at www.pfizer.co.uk

References:

  1. OnePoll survey data, October 2011: PR consumer survey. Participants: 3,000 (2,000 men and 1,000 women)
  2. HM Revenue and Customs. Company cars – advisory fuel rates from 1 September 2011. Available at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cars/advisory_fuel_current.htm Last accessed: November 2011.
  3. Office for National Statistics: Population of men in the UK (2010) http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-231847
  4. National Travel Survey 2010. Available at: http://assets.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/national-travel-survey- 2010/nts2010-01.pdf. Last accessed November 2011.
  5. Check Your Price – painting and decorating. Available at: http://www.checkyourprice.co.uk/painting-decorating-cost/index.php. Last accessed November 2011.
  6. Lets do DIY – Plumbing costs. Available at: http://www.lets-do-diy.com/Projects-and-advice/Plumbing/Average-cost-of-a-plumber.aspx. Last accessed November 2011.
  7. What Price – Building costs. Available at: http://www.whatprice.co.uk/builder.html. Last accessed November 2011.
  8. Lets do DIY – Electrician costs. Available at: http://www.lets-do-diy.com/Projects-and-advice/Lighting/Average-cost-of-an-electrician.aspx. Last accessed November 2011.

*based on the sum of the cost of getting lost while driving plus the average money spent on tradesmen for emergency repairs
**based on the average ‘lost journey’ totalling 10 miles
*** based on an average cost of tradesmen